


The Aftermath

by Frankensteins_Monster



Series: The Interview [2]
Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Anal, Cheating, Drinking, Drug Use, M/M, Oral Sex, Ryan is a Sociopath, Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:14:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26186257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frankensteins_Monster/pseuds/Frankensteins_Monster
Summary: What happens after the interview? Watch Michael and Ryan explore their relationship as they explore each other.
Relationships: Ryan Howard/Michael Scott
Series: The Interview [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901596
Comments: 11
Kudos: 53





	1. The Next Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for the feedback on the first work! I am continuing the series as requested.

“Urgh… My head.” Michael groaned.

Ryan’s eyes blinked slowly open.

Why was he sharing a bed with Michael?

He tried to sit up. “Ooh.” He gasped sharply.

Why did his ass hurt?

Michael, hearing the noise, looked over at Ryan with surprise.

His jaw dropped. “Did we???” He asked, looking rather impressed with himself despite his own disbelief.

The events of the last night flashed through Ryan’s head. Urgh, he always drinks at these things, he really needed to stop doing that. He thought to himself, despite knowing he would never stop.

But, as he admitted to his former drunken self, he fully remembered exactly why he had slept with Michael. If he turned him down now, he would really put his foot in it. Especially after making him break it off with Jan. Why did he do this shit to himself?

“Hey.” He murmured sleepily. That one word was a full acknowledgement of what they had done together.

“Hey.” Michael responded, a little nervously.

All of a sudden, Ryan could see it coming. Michael was headed for a complete and total freak out.

He’d better give him something else to focus on, and fast. But he didn’t think Michael would be able to go at it again, so early in the morning. Damn.

“Wow, I’m feeling really sore right now.” Ryan said leaning himself up against Michael’s bare chest.

He lifted one hand to Michael’s cheek to guide himself up into a soft and tender kiss.

As Michael warmly wrapped his arms around him, Ryan congratulated himself for his own quick thinking.

“So you’re still-“ Michael began to ask before Ryan shut him up with another kiss.

“We should really make a day of this.” Ryan pulled back to say. “Since I’m pretty sure you can’t go back to your condo anymore.”

“Oh… Shit! Jan!” Michael swore under his breath.

“You broke it off with her last night…” Ryan went in for another kiss. “…don’t you remember?”

His hand wandered up Michael’s thigh.

Michael’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I did, didn’t I? I… ended things with her.”

Ryan felt a little thrill go through him. He had stolen someone from Jan. Even as confident as he was in his good looks and charm, he had to admit that was impressive.

“Yeah, you did.” He said, rewarding Michael with a more passionate kiss.

“So what sort of place were you thinking of looking at?” Ryan asked. “We should probably pick it together, since we’ll be sharing it, right?”

“Umm… I guess somewhere close to corporate?” Michael said, sitting in a hotel bathrobe, still in a daze.

“Yeah?” Ryan goaded him.

“I… I always wanted a place with lots of space for kids.” Michael said, rather glumly.

Ryan narrowed his eyes, before settling back into a smile. “What are you talking about, you’re still in your prime!” He lied. “You’re better off focusing on your career anyway. Get a bachelor pad for now, and just get another place when you wanna focus on all that stuff.”

“I want kids, Ryan.” Michael said, seriously.

“Well go ahead Michael, I’m not stopping you. Have as many kids as you like.” Ryan said.

Now Michael looked hurt. “You… was this not serious?”

Ryan grabbed Michael by the collar and kissed him hard and passionately, before whispering into his ear. “Of course it wasn’t.”

Michael very quickly bounced from hurt, to pleasantly surprised, to hurt and confused. Ryan looked rather satisfied with himself, as he took some pleasure in messing around with Michael’s emotions.

“But you made me break up with Jan, first!” Michael stammered.

“Only because I knew you wouldn’t have the balls to go through with it, otherwise.” Ryan said, quietly.

“I don’t believe you.” Michael insisted.

“I meant it, Michael, you can do what you like. I’m not stopping you.”

“And what if I want you?” Michael asked.

“As I said, Michael. You can do whatever you’d like.” Ryan said.

Michael pushed Ryan down onto the bed and started to bite gently and suck on his neck.

“Wai-t. Not that!” Ryan gasped. He never let any of his lovers mark him, as it put a serious hamper on getting girls into his bed.

Michael smiled as he looked at the marks he’d successfully left on Ryan’s neck. He wasn’t a total fool, he knew exactly why that would make Ryan so uncomfortable.

Ryan pushed past him and went to look at himself in the mirror. “Fffuuuccckkk no!” He said, looking at the results. It could take weeks.

Michael put his arms around Ryan’s hips.

“You’re a bastard, you k-“ He turned his head to look at Michael and was met with a kiss, which he reciprocated.

“I can take responsibility, you know.” Michael said.

“Fuck you.” Ryan said breathily, between leaving kiss marks of his own across Michael’s neck, as Michael grinned and reached around to grope Ryan’s ass.

“Haa.” Ryan moaned as Michael slipped a finger inside him. Together they moved back over to the bed.

“This is so weird sober.” Ryan said.

“You don’t seem to mind it so much.” Michael said.

Ryan looked down, he was erect. “Fuck.”

“Is that a request?” Michael asked slyly.

Ryan looked up at Michael, and spread his legs invitingly. “That’s an order.”

Michael carefully positioned himself, and thrust into Ryan.

‘Raw again.’ Ryan thought, with even less concern this time.

Michael started moving with some force.

“Urk!” Ryan croaked, still too unused to the experience to take it like that.

Michael slowed himself. “Sorry.” He gasped. “Are you ok?”

“S-slow it down a bit.” Ryan whispered. “I don’t like it when it hurts.”

Michael nodded and slowed himself down, enough for Ryan to start feeling it.

“Ah-haah!” Ryan started to moan, cheeks turning red with embarrassment. He could really feel it now that he wasn’t drunk. He tried to turn his head away and to the side, so Michael wouldn’t see his face.

With a hand on Ryan’s chin, Michael turned his face back where he could see it. He stared deep into his eyes.

“You’re so hot right now.” He said.

Ryan’s cheeks flared even redder. He didn’t like making eye contact during sex, especially not like this. But he didn’t fight it, instead he just wrapped his arms around Michael’s back and pulled him in close, so he was able to look over Michael’s shoulder instead.

Suddenly, Michael nipped at one of his exposed nipples.

“Ah!” Ryan cried out in surprise. He felt his dick twitch excitedly.

Michael continued to lick and nip across his chest as he continued to thrust.

“Nghh! I’m going to…” Ryan gasped as he reached orgasm.

He felt his own sperm spurt across his stomach. In the back of his mind it occurred to him that he hadn’t yet touched himself. He buried his face in Michael’s shoulder and focused on the continuing feeling of his orgasm.

A short while later Michael finished inside him, and he felt a small burst of heat.

“Aghh-ah!” He cried into Michael’s shoulder, a little disturbed by how much he enjoyed that specific feeling.

They stayed like that for a moment, before Michael pulled out.

“Wow.” Michael said. “You’re incredible.”

“Yeah.” Ryan panted. “Of course I am.”

Michael looked into his eyes again for what felt like forever, and Ryan quickly became very interested in the peeling paint of the ceiling.

“You know, maybe we can adopt.” Michael said.

Ryan was confused for a moment. Adopt, what are you-?

Then he figured it out. “Urghh! Way to ruin the mood.” He said aiming to smack Michael’s cheek but aiming terribly and catching his fingers lightly through his hair instead.

“We’ve fucked twice! Don’t go getting ahead of yourself.” Ryan said. “And you may be ready for kids, but Dear God I’m not!”

Michael rolled over and leaned his head on Ryan’s shoulder. He reached down and held his hand. He kissed Ryan’s neck. “Yeah, I get it. I’ll give it a rest, alright.”


	2. The Start of a New Life

Together they picked out an apartment. It was close to corporate, and it was small, but it had a great view. As Ryan looked out over the balcony he wondered if all this made him a sugar baby. Not that that bothered him, not at all. It kind of appealed to him. If he could sit back in the lap of luxury coasting off his good looks then sign him up, he thought. Although he slid his fingers across the hickeys on his neck in irritation, these things took way too long to fade.

Michael joined him out on the balcony. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I suppose.” Ryan said.

“Wanna order takeout?” Michael asked.

“I’d rather just go out.” Ryan said. “I mean, we’re not in Scranton anymore, they have real five star restaurants here.”

“I mean, I guess we could.” Michael said. “Any place in mind?”

“Well, I’ve heard really great things about this new place, The Red Bird.” Ryan said. His friend Daniella had posted about it on her Insta, and it looked very upscale.

Ryan ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, along with a very nice Chablis. He ordered the same for Michael, who had looked thoroughly stumped by the menu.

“This place… sure is something.” Michael said, looking around nervously at all the nude art covering the walls.

“It’s very popular right now.” Ryan said.

“We should really go for some ice-cream after this.” Michael said, observing how tiny his main was as it arrived.

Ryan glanced at the waiter nervously. “Haha, that’s a… great joke, Michael.”

The waiter rolled his eyes.

“Give me your hand, Michael.” Ryan asked after the waiter left.

Michael turned a little red, and reached out to hold Ryan’s hand.

Ryan took it and pinched him hard. Michael yanked it away again.

“What was that for?” Michael whispered, confused.

“You don’t pull that shit in a place like this.” Ryan hissed under his breath.

Michael looked sadly down at his main.

“Besides, ice-cream? What am I, five?” Ryan whispered.

“I like ice-cream. Who doesn’t like ice-cream?” Michael whispered back.

“Jan didn’t like ice-cream.” Michael said, suddenly. As if he’d just remembered it.

He stared up at Ryan, his own main long finished, and watched as Ryan downed his Chablis in one go.

Did he leave Jan for Jan? He wondered with a nervous, queasy feeling in his stomach.

“Bathroom, Michael.” Ryan said, he sounded drunk.

He stood up and took Michael’s hand, leading into the bathroom. He pulled Michael into a stall and locked the door.

Ryan leant in for a clumsy kiss.

“That Chablis was strong, huh?” Michael asked, gently sweeping a stray lock of Ryan’s hair out of his face. He pronounced it the wrong way.

“Don’t fuckin’ compare me to Jan.” Ryan mumbled, gripping to Michael as if for dear life.

Michael remembered mentioning Jan earlier. “I mean, you kinda have been acting like Jan. Makes me wonder if I have a type.”

Ryan made a face, and Michael thought he might be about to cry, but instead he turned around and vomited into the toilet.

“You drank both bottles, didn’t you?” Michael asked, fairly certain he hadn’t had any himself.

Ryan nodded into the bowl.

“You alright?” He asked.

Ryan nodded again.

Michael put a hand on his shoulder. “Come over to the sinks and we’ll get you cleaned up.”

Ryan stood up slowly and did as Michael said, letting himself be cleaned up.

“Feeling better now.” Michael asked, and Ryan nodded again.

“Alright.” Michael said, and led Ryan out of the bathroom.

He paid the bill and escorted Ryan out into the street.

“Leave it to me.” Michael said, and steered Ryan into the closest McDonald’s.

“Mnn.” Ryan made a noise of complaint as Michael sat him down in a booth.

“I’m gonna go order. I’ll be right back, ok?”

Michael came back with two cheeseburgers and a pile of fries.

Ryan held his burger to his face and ate it slowly, in small bites.

He paused about halfway through and looked over towards Michael.

“I’m not Jan.” He took a big bite out of his burger.

“I know that, Ryan.” Michael said.

Once they found their way back to their new apartment, Ryan pushed Michael up against a wall.

“You know, I thought we were gonna do it in that bathroom.”

Michael turned red.

“I want your cock inside me.” Ryan said, getting down onto his knees, leaning forward and kissing Michael’s dick through his pants, while looking up to see Michael’s expression.

Michael instantly got hard, that was just about the hottest thing he’d ever seen.

“Hee hee! Attaboy!” Ryan said drunkenly, kissing it again.

He fumbled with the zipper, but soon managed to get Michael’s pants off.

He pushed Michael down onto the floor, and took off his own pants. Ryan started to prepare himself, before sliding Michael’s dick inside him.

“Haah! It’s so good!” Ryan moaned as he rode on top of Michael.

Michael caressed Ryan’s cheek and he leaned into the touch with half-lidded eyes.

“I love you.” Michael said.

“Of course you do.” Ryan said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Michael smiled. He ran his fingers gently across the hickeys he’d left on Ryan’s neck.

He leaned in and left a few more, while he had the perfect chance to do so.

Ryan moaned gently, although Michael was fairly certain it was out of satisfaction, rather than annoyance.

Michael quickly came, and Ryan gripped him tightly as he did so.

“Aa-aa!” Ryan moaned and came as well, before burying his face in Michael’s collarbone.

“Y’know, it feels th’ best when you cum inside me.” Ryan mumbled quietly into Michael’s collarbone.

Michael stroked Ryan’s hair, a little surprised by the admission. And also feeling incredibly pleased with himself.


	3. Ryan's Problem

Ryan woke up that morning in Michael’s arms. They had both fallen asleep on the floor. He really needed a shower.

“Wake up, Michael.” He said, as he shook Michael awake. May as well not waste water, he thought.

Ryan supposed he expected a steamier kind of shower, but the way Michael just stumbled in and stood there yawning really turned him off.

So they just showered next to each other, which was not really something Ryan ever saw himself doing in his life.

“Did… did we sleep on the floor?” Michael stammered. You’d have thought he was the one who’d gotten drunk last night.

“Yeah.” Ryan said, as he buttered a single piece of toast.

“How are you not hung over?” Michael asked.

Ryan shrugged, and bit into his toast.

“How much do you normally drink?” Michael asked.

Ryan shrugged again.

“I mean… maybe… do you think… you might have a problem?”

“No! I only drink expensive wine, I’m not some drunk, Michael.” Ryan said with a laugh.

“Yeah, but you drank both bottles. Ryan. That would have knocked me out, but you just threw up.”

“I mean… doesn’t that say something about your self-“

“Shut up.” Ryan said. “What business of yours is it if I drink?”

“I already told you last night. I love you.”

“You sound like my mom.” Ryan said angrily. “And you sound like every girl I’ve ever slept with.”

“Well, maybe they have a point.” Michael said, calmly.

“I’m going out.” Ryan said, and slammed the door behind him.

Michael sighed over his breakfast.

Around 9 hours later, and Ryan stopped by a club he knew. Vince was right, the girls there were incredible, like super models.

The girl he was dancing with peered at his neck, and Ryan remember the hickeys.

“I just broke it off with her, she was like super possessive.” He said.

The girl leaned up to kiss him, standing on her toes.

“Let’s get out of here.” Ryan said.

“We don’t have to.” She said. “There’s the VIP room, right there.”

“Sounds perfect.”

They entered the VIP room and locked the door behind them, and then they started to make out.

She pushed him down onto one of the velvet couches, undid his belt buckle, and started to suck him off.

“You impotent or something?” She asked, after she’d been going for a good long while. It hadn’t really gotten hard.

“Nah, I think you’re just bad at this.” Ryan said.

“Yeah, that’s not it.” She said through a laugh. “Say that sorta thing again and I’m gonna bite it.”

Ryan swallowed nervously.

“But I’m really not…” He insisted.

She reached into her purse.

“I’ve got something that can help with that, you want it or not?”

“I… I want it.”

She held out a little bag and poured some powder out onto the table.

“Breathe it in.” She said, and pushed his head down. “Go on.”

He looked up at her for a moment, before putting his head down and breathing it in deeply.

He broke into a coughing fit. And she laughed at him.

“You got it all over your face!” She shrieked, before leaning forward and licking the powder from around his nose.

She stroked him as they made out messily.

“There ya go, it’s working now…” She said, taking off her top.

Michael was almost asleep when Ryan opened the door and stumbled into the bedroom.

“Ryan, where were you?” Michael asked, before Ryan kissed him hard and pushed him back onto the bed.

“Fuck me.” He whispered.

“Whoa, what the-“ Ryan cut him off with another kiss.

“Fuck me, Michael. Fuck me now.” Ryan moaned, already unbuttoning Michael’s pants. His fly was open, Michael noticed.

Ryan knelt down and licked and stroked at Michael until he was ready.

Then he positioned himself on the bed, legs spread.

“Please!” He begged.

Michael hesitated.

“I want your cock.” Ryan whispered with a giggle. “I want it bad, Michael!”

“You smell like perfume.” Michael whispered into Ryan’s ear before thrusting into him.

“Agh! Agh!” Ryan cried out with each thrust, clinging to Michael tightly enough that it hurt a little.

Michael stuck his tongue down Ryan’s throat and Ryan returned the kiss eagerly.

He trailed down to Ryan’s neck and bit down, fairly hard.

“Haah!” Ryan cried out with pleasure, and came.

As far as Michael could tell, Ryan was still cumming when he finished in him a few minutes later. But when he pulled out, there was no cum across Ryan’s stomach. He wasn’t even hard.

“Did you… cum?” Michael asked, a little confused.

Ryan nodded, still panting heavily. He went in for another messy kiss.

“Wait… look me in the eyes.” Michael said.

“No!” Ryan tried to turn his head away, but Michael held his chin. Even when facing Michael, his eyes looked over at the wall. But Michael could still see his pupils.

“My God, Ryan! What are you on!”

“Coke, maybe, I dunno.” Ryan mumbled.

“What do I do? I don’t know what to do about this.” Michael said to Ryan in a panic.

“Should I take you to a hospital?” He asked.

Ryan shook his head and giggled. “You’re so funny, Michael.”

“I’m not joking, Ryan! This is a huge problem.”

“Such a pain in the ass…” Ryan mumbled, as Michael scooped him into a tight hug.

“You’re scaring me. Drinking this much, doing cocaine… sleeping around. I hate it.”

Ryan clung tightly to Michael.

“M’sorry. M’sorry.”

“I know you’re not.” Michael said, stroking Ryan’s hair gently.

“Look, I get that you want to play around and… go wild and all that stuff. I do… get it I mean.”

“I couldn’t get it up.” Ryan mumbled.

“What?”

“I couldn’t get it up when she blew me.”

Michael swallowed hard.

“Is that… is that because we’ve been.”

Ryan nodded.

“Woah…”

“It’s shit.”

“Yeah, yeah I guess it would be.” Michael said sympathetically, while fighting off a grin.


	4. The Hangover

“Ugh.” Ryan grumbled as the light began to peek through the windows.

Michael was cooking bacon and eggs. He walked over to Ryan with a plate.

“Want some-“

Ryan pushed him out of the way and ran to the bathroom, before puking his guts out.

Michael sniffed the food he made… and it smelled good.

Ryan staggered out of the bathroom, wiping his chin with his hand. He looked at what came away on his hand with bleary eyes, and then staggered into the bathroom again. Michael heard him throw up again in there, and then he heard the tap running.

Ryan stumbled out of the bathroom again, nearly tripping over his own feet, before sitting down heavily on the bed.

“Are you ok?” Michael asked nervously.

“Mnn… No talking please.” Ryan grumbled. “Hurts.”

He grabbed the plate and started eating with his fingers. Slowly and in small bites.

Michael felt relieved. After seeing Ryan’s incredible tolerance for alcohol, he was glad to know he had no similar tolerance for cocaine.

God, Ryan was a mess. He thought. He was a hot mess, but he really was a mess. It was too bad he was so into him.

That was when he heard the doorbell.

“Get it. Get it.” Ryan urged him, clutching his head in pain.

Michael went to get the door, and opened it to see Jan.

“Jan?” He gasped. “How did you even find this place?”

“Oh, I have my ways.” She said angrily.

“By text, Michael? Really? I mean of all the cowardly ways to break up with someone. And there is no way that you are breaking up with me by the way. You do not break up with me, I break up with you, when I’m done with you that is…”

She stormed past Michael into the apartment. Michael turned around, a little too stunned to try and stop her.

“It’s Pam isn’t it?” She asked angrily. “I’m going to go in there, and find that little trollop…” Her mouth dropped open when she saw Ryan, presumably naked, on Michael’s bed.

“Well look at you. First my job, and now Michael, huh?”

“Jan?” Ryan asked blearily. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“I’m taking Michael back of course. You can have him when I’m done with him.”

“He broke up with you already… let it go.” Ryan said, rubbing the palm of one hand across his head in both frustration and pain.

“And why would I do that? So you two can go off together and be happy? I think both of us know you’d never be able to do that, Ryan.” Jan ran a hand through her hair and kept talking. “You’re cute, but your wiring’s all messed up. Michael just thinks he’s happy for now. But you’d never be able to please him. It’s just not in your nature. You can’t make anybody happy but yourself.”

Ryan shrugged.

“At least I could give him a family, if I wanted to.” Jan said.

“He wouldn’t have slept with me if he was satisfied, Jan. Maybe you just don’t have what it takes. You could get all the boob jobs in the world, and you couldn’t even begin to compete with me. Maybe you’re just getting old.” Ryan said, baring his teeth in a smile.

“You little… bitch!” Jan said angrily. “He’ll come crawling back to me, you’ll see. When you get too much for him. I don’t think it’ll take long either, because I’ve heard some rumours about you, Ryan, that I’m guessing are true.” She continued, eyeballing his hung over state.

Ryan started to get out of bed, not bothering to cover himself.

Jan held up her hands. “I’m leaving, I’m leaving for now. But I’m just laying down the gauntlet, you’re in for a world of pain, Ryan. Believe me.”

True to her word, she did leave, slamming the door loudly behind her.

“I think we need to move…” Michael said.

“We don’t need to move. Just start looking through the peephole before opening the door, dumbass. This isn’t Scranton, you know.” Ryan said, lying back down on the bed. He patted the sheets next to him, and Michael came and sat beside him.

“But Jan’s… Jan. I don’t know what she’s going to do.”

“Well just don’t sleep with her, alright.” Ryan said, resting his head on Michael’s shoulder. He reached out and grabbed Michael’s crotch playfully.

“This belongs to me.” He said, before letting it go again.

“I thought we weren’t exclusive.” Michael said.

“I’m not exclusive. You are.”

“Well at least I know you won’t be able to get it up anyways.” Michael teased.

“Sorry.” He said, at the look on Ryan’s face.

“Can you just lie here with me for a while?” Ryan asked, burying his face in Michael’s shoulder.

Michael was a little surprised by that, but he supposed it was the hangover.

“Sure.” He said, with a gentle smile.

When Ryan woke up, the sun was going down again. Michael was still there, having dozed off himself. Ryan could hear him slowly breathing in and out, and watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

His headache was gone, which was good. He didn’t feel quite as nauseous either.

“Hey.” He said, shaking Michael awake. “You didn’t have to stay.”

Michael opened his eyes. “I wanted to stay.”

They lay there in silence for a bit, Michael looking at Ryan, Ryan looking into Michael’s nose.

“You don’t look me in the eyes, do you? Is it just me, or is that just how you get after you’ve had sex with someone?”

“It’s sex.” Ryan said.

He leaned up and kissed Michael gently, making sure to close his own eyes as he did so.

“Ok.” Michael said, running a hand through Ryan’s hair. “That’s kinda cute, I guess.”

Ryan buried his nose in Michael’s neck and breathed in deeply. He didn’t know when Michael’s smell began to make him feel safe, but it did.

“Is this… a real relationship? Or are you just playing around with me?” Michael asked.

“I don’t know.” Ryan said, as if knowing that would be somehow strange or abnormal.

Michael was quiet for a moment. Then he sighed, long and deep and hard. “I’m so stupid.” He muttered under his breath, with his arms around Ryan.


	5. Trouble

“Come on.” Ryan said, opening his legs seductively. “Lick me.”

Michael started to lick and stroke Ryan’s dick, but it refused to get hard.

“Fuck.” Ryan swore under his breath.

“Try turning around.” Michael said, and Ryan moved so that his ass was up in the air.

The next thing he knew, he felt Michael’s warm breath up against his hole. That wasn’t what they were trying to do, but Ryan felt a pang of desire in his gut, so he let it continue.

Michael swept his tongue across it, back and forth. Quickly he poked his tongue inside.

“Mmmm.” Ryan made a satisfied noise. He could feel his whole body heating up from the inside.

This foreplay was gentle and soft, a little ember of pleasure began to smoulder within Ryan.

He felt Michael stroke at his dick, which added to his pleasure despite not getting hard.

“I’m ready.” Ryan said. “I need you inside me.”

Michael withdrew his tongue from Ryan with a slick noise.

He felt Michael position himself carefully, and slowly push it inside.

He felt good quickly, as he had grown accustomed to over the time he had spent sleeping with Michael. And while sober, only Michael. Although a position like this was a little different from what he had become used to.

Once he had fully inserted himself, and given a few experimental thrusts, Michael put his hands firmly on Ryan’s hips and began to fuck him proper.

“Ah!” Ryan moaned in surprise, as it was a little more than he was expecting. Of course by now he could pretty much handle any pace Michael could throw at him with no discomfort, but it was still unexpected.

One of Michael’s hands ventured off his hip and stroked along Ryan’s cock.

Ryan shivered, in a strange and pleasurable way. “Yes. Yes. Keep going!” He cried out, without thinking.

“Ahhh-n!” He moaned, collapsing into orgasm.

Michael kept going.

“Wait, get your hand off my-“ Ryan mumbled as he felt himself twitch. “It’s too much.” He said, and Michael let go of his dick, and returned all of his focus to thrusting into him.

Ryan lay there, in the dizzying swirl of orgasm, until Michael finished inside him.

Ryan sat up. He put his head in his hands. “Ffffuuucckkk!” He mumbled.

“You seemed to enjoy it, though.” Michael teased.

Ryan rolled over and ignored Michael.

“Oh come on!” Michael complained. “Just for that, you’re giving me the silent treatment?”

“How am I supposed to get better if you can’t keep your hands off me?” Ryan asked.

“Get better?” Michael asked with a smirk. “Well, what if I don’t want you to get better? What if I like this… thing we have, whatever it is.”

“Dickhead.” Ryan muttered under his breath. 

Michael frowned to himself. Was he being a dickhead? Or was this just something that Ryan was calling him… like a young person thing… maybe it was a term of endearment? Like when his friends back in high school had called him a loser.

Michael heard a knock at the door and went to answer it, first throwing on some boxers and his Dunder-Mifflin robe. Remembering what had happened with Jan, he checked the peephole first. It wasn’t Jan. It was a woman he’d never seen before, probably about a decade older than Jan, and although quite beautiful she was far less done-up. He opened the door.

Ryan, now (hurriedly) dressed, rushed towards him. “Wait! Michael! Don’t open the-“ Ryan froze when he knew that the woman in the doorway had seen him.

“This… it isn’t what it looks like, Mom.” Ryan said.

Michael’s jaw dropped. Ryan’s mom pushed her way inside and he just let her go. He was still trying to process this. He was not ready for this. Perhaps more importantly than that… she was going to kill him, right? Like actual murder… probably.

She walked past Ryan and headed straight into their shared bedroom. She eyed over the incredibly messy room. It was obvious that two people were sharing this room (two men), her son, and this ‘Michael Scott’ person.

Then she headed right to the bedside drawers. She checked both of them, pulling everything out and rifling through it before putting it back. She didn’t see anything that looked like drugs, although she felt her heart sink into the floor when she saw the condoms and lubricant. And then she headed to the kitchen, where she checked all the cupboards and drawers.

She turned to Michael, who was watching her cautiously. “You don’t have any alcohol?” She asked.

Michael shook his head. “Not here… I didn’t think it was a good idea to…” He trailed off. He didn’t want to let Ryan’s mom think that Ryan had a problem or something. Even if, perhaps, Ryan actually had a problem.

She pulled up a seat for herself and put her head in her hands. Michael thought perhaps she might have figured it out.

“Mom!” Ryan barked her name out like it was an order. But she ignored him.

“Tell me honestly… are you two sleeping together?” She asked.

“No!” Ryan cried out. “Of course we’re not sleeping together! We’re just roommates! It’s called apartment sharing, and people in New York do it all the-”

She looked sharply up at Michael, who felt bad. “Yes. We are sleeping together.” He told her.

Ryan punched him in the arm. Hard. Michael turned to him. “There’s no reason to lie when she already knows.” He said. “What’s the point?”

“What’s the point?” Ryan asked. “The point is that it’s none of her business! That’s the point! It’s my life and I can do whatever I want with it!”

“Ryan. She’s your mom.” Michael said, in a tone that was soft but chastising.

“Thank you… Michael.” Ryan’s mom whispered, sounding incredibly uncomfortable to even say his name. “Have you been sleeping together this whole time behind my back?” She asked. “Was this ‘Kelly’ girl just a lie you made up to trick me?”

“Just over a month.” Michael said immediately. “We’ve only been doing this for just over a month. I… I never took advantage of him. Kelly was real.”

“Is that when he started drinking?” She asked.

“No.” Michael said. Ryan looked appalled but it was true. “I don’t know when it started.”

Ryan’s mother let out a sigh. She clasped her hands together as if she were praying, the knuckles turning white.

“I don’t know what to do.” She said.

There was complete silence.

“When that woman told me that my son was having an affair with his boss, a man who was over twice his age, I was so angry. All these thoughts ran through my head… that I trusted you. That I thought I'd raised you better. And it didn’t take me long to realise that it wasn’t this Michael Scott that I felt so angry at, but you Ryan. I suppose that’s not how a mother should feel in this moment… I know it isn’t.”

She took a deep breath. “You were always so clever… so good at making friends, but you always lied to me. I knew you were drinking. I knew you were going to parties and I knew you were stringing those poor girls along just to get into their pants. I always knew, Ryan. And there’s clearly no way this Michael Scott person is smart enough to manipulate you like this. So what the hell are you doing with yourself? And what are you getting out of this?”

“You’re crazy, Mom!” Ryan shouted.

Michael sat there stunned. All too late he thought he knew what Ryan had gotten out of this. His job. He slept with Michael to get this job. The corporate job at Dunder-Mifflin that Michael actually gave to him. And somehow Michael had never realised that fact of the matter until this very moment. But if that was the case, why hadn’t they broken up by now. And to be honest, it wasn’t like Ryan was making any kind of effort to make a good impression anymore, he’d dropped all pretence of that the moment the first payment on their apartment lease had gone through.

Michael cleared his throat gently. “Are you here to put a stop to this?”

“No.” She said. “Dear God, I’m a terrible mother. But I’m not going to stop this. Because honestly, at this point he just needs someone to keep him from killing himself with his own stupid decisions, and apparently that person can’t be me. It needs to be someone he respects.” She said curtly and stood up, clutching her arms around themselves so tightly it looked painful.

“I intend to marry your son.” Michael said.

She paused and turned to him. “You really are a moron, aren’t you? Just keep him alive. Put a stop to this endless party before he runs himself into the ground.” She said. She looked like she was struggling to keep herself from crying as she spoke. Her voice quivered and her eyes shined. She turned around one last time. “And expect to see me here again.” She added and shut the door quietly behind her.

When he turned around, Ryan was staring at him, bug eyed. “You intend to marry me?” He cried out angrily. “What the hell was that?” He stomped off and slammed the bedroom door. Michael sat down in the kitchen and sighed. Now would really be the perfect time to have a drink… but there was no way he was going to keep alcohol in the apartment with Ryan. Fuck.

He slumped over and rested his cheek on the kitchen table. He’d known Jan was out for blood, but he couldn’t have imagined that she’d do this. And he wondered to himself, nervously, what else she might do.


	6. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. I just wanted to remind everyone that this all takes place in 2007 in New York, so please take into account the American political landscape of the time when reading, because that will be particularly relevant within this chapter. Thank you - Frankie

Michael woke up to Ryan sleeping on his shoulder. He was back in their bed. He supposed Ryan had come to fetch him while he was asleep over the table, and he’d only woken up just enough to stumble into their bed.

He reached up to tuck a stray lock of Ryan’s hair behind his ear. He didn’t wake up.

“I love you.” Michael said softly.

Ryan opened his eyes, and closed them again. Then he slipped his arms around Michael’s waist and held him tightly.

Michael stroked Ryan’s hair.

“What am I going to do, Michael?” Ryan whispered. “My mom knows everything.”

“It’ll be ok.” Michael said. “I’ll make sure of that. You’re going to be ok.”

Ryan’s face was buried in Michael’s chest. He didn’t say anything… for a while.

“Jan’s a bitch.” Ryan finally mumbled.

“I know.” Michael said.

There was another awkward bout of silence.

“Did you mean it when you told mom that you intend to marry me?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah. I did.” Michael said.

“You know that we can’t get married. Like, legally. Right, Michael?”

Michael was quiet for a moment.

“Michael?”

“I dunno. Can’t we just do it on international waters or something?”

Michael felt Ryan smile against his torso.

“Oh my God I think your idiocy is contagious...” Ryan breathed. “But international waters… It’s got this total air of danger about it, of breaking the law.” “And you’re getting dressed up like a ship captain. No doubt about that.” He added, looking up with a grin.

“So is that a yes?” Michael asked.

Ryan’s grin dropped. “No.”

“But you were into the idea?”

“I liked the fantasy, Michael. But this is real life.”

Michael snorted with a single burst of sarcastic laughter.

“What? What is that?”

“Ryan. You hate real life.” Michael said.

Ryan stared at Michael with an indiscernible expression on his face.

“Isn’t that why you’ve been retreating into this shell of booze, and drugs and sleeping around? In that case, why not try to make our life better? Maybe if our life is more like a fantasy then you won’t want to do those things anymore.”

“You mean that ‘maybe I’ll commit to you’?” Ryan said dryly, as if the very idea annoyed him.

“Well so what if I do? I made my intentions clear from the start, but what about yours?”

“What?” Ryan asked, a little bit of anger sharpening the edges of his voice.

“What are your intentions? What do you want out of this relationship? I want something real… but what about you?”

“Michael…” Then Ryan sighed, his voice softening. “Give me a year.” He said.

“What do you-“

“Give me a year to sort out how I feel. And if we’re still together, then you can ask me... again.”

Michael looked shocked, then his whole face lit up. He pulled Ryan in even closer and nuzzled his nose into his neck excitedly, like a big dog.

“What was that for?” Ryan asked.

Michael shook his head. “I love you.” He said, placing kisses all across Ryan’s neck.

“But you do realise that a marriage on international waters isn’t a real marriage, right?” Ryan reminded Michael.

“I love you.” Michael said again into Ryan’s neck. “Ryan, I love you.”

Ryan stroked through Michael’s hair, just to feel it between his fingers.

“Are you sure you want me?” Ryan asked. It sort of slipped out before he even realised he said it. He felt Michael stiffen in surprise. Even Ryan stiffened in surprise. He’d had no idea he even felt this way until he said it.

“Of course I want you.”

“But don’t you want a family? Kids? Dog? Condo in the suburbs?” Ryan asked. “I would be a terrible parent even if I wanted kids, which I don’t. I’m just not looking for that kind of life. And even if I were I’m just not good at it.”

“Yeah, I still want all that stuff.” Michael said. “But I want you more than I want any of it. Besides, I’m a salesman and you’re a genius. So when I finally sell you on this, then I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

“You were a manager, not a salesman.” Ryan said.

“I was in sales before I made management, and I’ll never not be a salesman.” Michael said. “That’s not just something that you lose. Do the job for long enough and it’s a part of you forever.”

Ryan gave him a funny look. “I honestly don’t think I’ve seen you sell something once, Michael.”

Michael shrugged. “I did most of my sales at Hooters. I took all my clients out there for our meetings.”

Ryan pursed his lips and snorted. “Of course you did.”

“Oh yeah. That’s sales tactics 101.” Michael grinned, with one arm around Ryan as he giggled and leant into him.

“Somehow I don’t think a trip to Hooters is the right tactic to sell me on this marriage.” Ryan said.

“I suppose it isn’t.” Michael said. “And is that a dare?”

Ryan’s eyes flicked up towards Michael almost shyly. “Yeah.” He whispered. “I think it is.”

There was a moment where they just looked into each other’s eyes. And Michael almost thought they might kiss.

“But I should warn you.” Ryan said, pulling away again. “That I’m expecting big things. I’m expecting you to pull out all the stops.”

“Ok.” Michael whispered, his stomach fluttering nervously at the proposition. He hoped to God that he could make Ryan happy. But was he even capable of making Ryan happy? Was anyone?

That was the question that already plagued him at night. And lately, it was always at the forefront of his mind. He and Ryan were so different. But even more than that, Ryan seemed like someone who was so very rarely happy, that Michael wasn’t even sure that he was qualified to be with him.

He felt like he needed a degree in managing Ryan. His upswings and his downswings. His various dependencies and self-destructive behaviour. And his inbuilt desire to distance himself from people, from everyone, including Michael. It was... scary, quite frankly. And it was hard.

But Michael loved Ryan. And love could fix everything, right?

He certainly hoped so.

He was certainly going to try.

And surely he could make Ryan happy, even if it took every ounce of love that Michael had to do it.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like what I do here you can follow me on twitter @Writer_Monster or on my tumblr where I’m writer-monster


End file.
